Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman garnered appreciation from the seafood exporters of Bharat for aquaculture measures announced in the Interim Budget for FY25 presented in Parliament on February 1.
The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana’s implementation will be extended to increase aquaculture productivity to 5 tonnes per hectare from the current 3 tonnes, double exports to Rs 1 lakh crore and create 5.5 million job opportunities in near future, she mentioned adding five integrated aquaparks will be set up.
Sitharaman highlighted about the contribution of the separate Fisheries department created by the Narendra Modi Government in the doubling of inland and aquaculture production and seafood exports since FY14.
Bharat’s seafood exports earned Rs 63,969.14 crore in FY23 except for shrimp owing to its lower prices.
To encourage climate-resilient activities for blue economy 2.0, a scheme for restoration, adaptation steps and coastal aquaculture and mariculture with an integrated and multi-sectoral approach will be launched, mentioned Sitharaman.
Ensuring to support the government in implementation of the steps, Seafood Exporters Association of India national president Pawan Kumar G said, “We welcome the government’s measures, which are an indication that the Centre has recognised fisheries as a potential sector for growth in exports.”
Mentioning three compulsory points to achieve the government target, Prawn Farmers’ Federation of India general secretary V Balasubramaniam said first, the government should channelise additional institutional financing for the aquaculture farmers; second, these farmers need more seeds of disease-resistant varieties. Third, Indian seafood exports need to develop the domestic market as they are dependent on the overseas market.
All India Shrimp Hatcheries Association president Ravi Kumar Yellanki termed the export target of Rs 1 lakh crore as “a bit ambitious” adding, “The lion’s share of exports comes from shrimps, the export of which is not doing well, at present. So, it is difficult to get to the Rs 1 lakh crore target in the next few years.”
For enhancing productivity, joint efforts of the government and the industry is required to bypass obstacles such as diseases in farms to make the sector more efficient, he advised.
Hatcheries Association’s former president L Satyanarain suggested the quick resolution to the matter of high power tariffs for aquaculture farmers in some States.
